Everything you need to know about Live Casino
What exactly is Live Casino?
Live casino is the most contemporary way of playing your favorite casino games. It is essentially a form of online casino gaming and betting.
However, the main difference between online casinos and live casinos is that simple online casinos use software that represents gameplay, while live casinos broadcast video feeds online with real life croupiers conducting play from a physical table game.
Gradually, live casinos have become increasingly popular and many players throughout the world enjoy the fact that they can play their favorite games in online casinos, but with the thrill of live play. Players thus get the feel of being literally and personally stood at the game table.
Furthermore, this kind of casino is indeed completely interactive. It means that the croupiers usually engage with the players at the table and in this way you can feel the atmosphere of an actual land-based casino.
Getting Involved
Now you can simply visit an online casino, login to your account and click on your favorite game. Once this happens, the video link comes to life and players are immediately immersed into a studio, or in some cases even a real life casino.
Before the game started, you are greeted by the live dealers. Then the game that you have chosen starts and all the players sit on the virtual table.
Gamble Safe!
The video stream of a live casino games is never interrupted so that players can always see the dealer’s hands and the deck of cards or roulette wheel. This means that you should not be afraid of any kind of fraud because you can have everything under control.
Nevertheless, you need to be aware that you should only play at licensed online casinos to ensure that your personal information is safe and that the money you deposit and win is secure. So, before signing up to an online live casino, make sure your check the terms and conditions and that you check if the casino is licensed.
In order to ensure that players enjoy their favorite online live casino games in a safe environment, online casinos make use of the latest encryption technologies. These make sure that the video feed is not being accessed by third parties, and that all personal and financial information is kept safe.
Furthermore, live casino games are managed by trained and experienced live dealers. This also ensures that there is no cheating. The same principles as in a land-based casino are used and applied to live casino games.
Perks of Being a Live Casino Gambler
Generally, online casino has many advantages. You can play any game from the comfort of your own home, which means that you do not have to get dressed and leave your house.
Another good thing is that you can play any game you want at any time of the day, whenever you feel like playing. While a land-based casino may be closed at certain time of the day, online casino is always open.
On the internet you can choose a casino based on your preferences. Casinos differ in payouts, betting, games, bonuses, tournaments, etc. After you see the terms and conditions and characteristics of a particular casino, you can enter it if it fits your wishes and expectations.
Also, always make sure that you are managing your bankroll wisely since playing live games can be so much fun and engaging and you need to be sure about your finances. This of course varies from game to game and it depends on your money. You are the one to choose, but be sure that you do not lose the fun aspect if you lose your money, that is, if you do not choose your bets wisely.
Yet, a live casino is a combination of the best of both worlds. In a live casino you get the full package. You get all these above-mentioned advantages of an online casino and the thrill of a real world casino. You see real croupiers dealing your cards, rolling the dice or spinning the roulette wheel.
On the internet you can find various types of Live Casinos with some filming the casino activity in a live casino. The most commonly used Live Casino is streamed from a studio which is designed specifically for the most authentic casino atmosphere.
Of course, in a live casino you can chat with the croupier as well as with the other players. You can see bets placed at Roulette tables. Evidently, live casinos are a brand new experience which cannot be found either in a land-based casino or in a typical online casino.
However, since setting up a Live Casino can be quite complex, the selection of games on offer is somewhat limited. Most commonly, live casinos offer Live Blackjack, Live Roulette and Live Baccarat.
Yet, some live casinos have Live Casino Hold’em, Asian Roulette, Sicbo and Crazy 21. In some casinos you can even find Live Slots although this is still developing.
Many people would say that playing in online casinos still lacks a certain human note, since it is not the same to play with a computer. This is why live casinos answer to that problem. So, if you really rather enjoy playing at any time you want and from the comfort of your home, but still wish to see a human factor that plays into the hands of gamblers then a live casino is definitely a great thing to meet your needs.
After all, in live casinos, there are no computerized outcomes and machines that work on random principles. Here, you have the real cards or real dice in the hand of a real person.
Live casinos are also suitable for those who do not have the opportunity to go to a land-based casino, for various reasons. For instance, in some countries gambling is banned or a casino is far from the house of a player, and so on. Or maybe you prefer not leave your house or you do not have that possibility due to some illnesses. Live casinos help you experience a casino just as anybody else.
Online live casinos very often have beautiful ladies for their croupiers and if you prefer to have sexy and professional women for your croupiers, then a live casino will also meet those needs. If this is not your thing, you do not need to worry, since the hosts and hostesses are very professional and experienced and you can only enjoy and be relaxed while they are there to help you.
Hence, while an online casino is a simulation of a real life casino, it is much like a computer game. It uses software with graphics to mimic real life. On the other hand, live casino has a real life casino dealer, which makes the games interactive, since the dealer responds to player’s choices.
If for any reason you do not wish to be seen, especially if you are in your home and did not want to spend any time on dressing up or thinking of your appearance, then it is a great thing since the croupier cannot see his or her customers.
A great advantage of live casino is that you don’t have to wait to play your favorite table game, if there is someone else playing it, and there is no distracting atmosphere of hundreds of slots machines buzzing around you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to questions that players throughout the world like yourself frequently wonder about.
If you want to know how exactly to become a member of a live casino or which tools you should have, read this part.
There is a very useful site on which you can see the most frequently asked questions regarding live casinos.
For instance, if you want to know how to get a membership, it is very easy. You just need to register on the website of online casino.
If you wonder whether you must have software, you can download software for games of Live Casino if you wish, but you can also play in your browser directly. You just choose whichever you prefer.
You can, for instance, contact the vendor of the online casino software – 2WinPower. Managers who work in this company will consult you on all issues.
The live casino software can be not only bought but also rented. 2WinPower offers the software from XproGaming, Microgaming, and Playtech – these brands are top-rated in their niche. It is worth choosing trusted providers to use your resource to the full.
Each owner of a gambling establishment needs to remember that the fuller the range of games in his online casino is, the more visitors there will be, which means, in turn, that they will spend more money.
Software and the games are all certified and recognized by experts who are independent so it is assured that there will be no cheating.
And now, what if the internet connection gets lost?
A good thing to know is that if the internet connection gets lost during the game, a certain time period will be granted to you to reconnect and make the next move. Hence, not even the internet connection issue or a computer inconvenience is the problem when playing live. You do not need to worry about this, you can just sit back and enjoy.
So, do I have to have a computer?
No. If you think that you must have a computer to play in a live casino, you are wrong. You can also play the games from your cell phone or tablet.
Recent developments in mobile device technology has also made playing on-the-go a reliable and equally enjoyable alternative.
There is an excellent site for this, called NetEnt. Their mission is to work with customers to develop their favorite mobile live casino.
For example, you can play a live roulette at NetEnt.
A roulette game for mobile comes with an easy-to-use interface, and it is perfectly synchronized audio and video to guarantee a seamless player experience.
Players can enjoy landscape or portrait mode, with the freedom to toggle between either the felt stream or the video stream during gameplay.
How do I place my bets?
It is also possible to place bets during the spin, just like at a land-based casino – a feature that is much appreciated by seasoned players.
In live casinos players can place wagers in the same way as they would playing a computer generated online table game by simply making selections using on the screen layout.
For example, when playing roulette players are able to choose anything from individual numbers to broader outside bets and the live croupier will then announce “no more bets”.
After this, the computerized betting system will stop further bets from being placed and pay out winning selections in exactly the same way as in any other online betting system.
In live casino betting games you will often encounter different bet sizing than in simple online versions. While an online cash game might feature players opening for 2x, 2.5x, or 3x the big blind, in live games it isn’t unusual to encounter players opening for 5x or 6x or even more, particularly in the lower-stakes live games. Here you can find a detailed review of live dealers and here’s a definitive reviews of online live casinos.
The Best among the Best
Some of the best Live Casinos offer a player the best video streaming, the highest quality graphics, stable and easy to use software and hand-picked croupiers.
If you’re new to online casinos or are looking for something to spice up your gambling experience, you should pay one of these Live Casinos a visit.
This is an evolution in the online gambling industry which is not to be missed. And you’re going to love the way it seamlessly combines everything you know about both on and offline casinos.
As already mentioned, there are some great games that are offered in live casino, and they usually include Live Baccarat, Live Roulette, Live Blackjack, Live Texas Hold’em, etc.
Here you can read a short review on these games in regards to playing them in their live versions.
LIVE BACCARAT
Let’s Gamble!
To start a live baccarat game, you need to first place a wager on either the Banker, the Player or a Tie. Then the banker proceeds to deal two more cards to each player.
And… rules are the same?
As you probably already know, the person who has the point value closest to number 9 wins.
In some special cases, and you can read that in our guide on baccarat, the game moves further on to include a third card.
Cards are dealt from a shoe that holds 6 decks and wagering possibilities in Live Baccarat are many and varied: Player winning pay-out, Banker winning, Player pair, Banker pair, either pair, perfect pair, big and small.
What are My Betting Options?
When it comes to betting, you have various betting options. For instance you can make side bets which can be quite profitable. You now have the chance to place a bet on Player Pair, Banker Pair, Perfect Pair, Either Pair or Big and Small.
If both the Player and Banker get a pair from the first two cards dealt, then both of their side bets win.
The Big wins if the cards dealt to the Player and Banker make a total of 5 or 6, while the Small wins when the total between the Player’s and the Banker’s hand is 4.
LIVE ROULETTE
How the Game Kicks Off
Applying the standard roulette layout found at most online and land-based casinos, you start the game by placing a bet on a single number (straight up), a mix of numbers, red or black, odd or even or any number between 1 and 36 and 0 and 00 depending on the variant of the game you have opted for.
After placing your bet on a chosen number and color, the game starts when the dealer spins the wheel in one direction whilst rolling a small ball along the inner edge of the wheel in the opposite direction.
The wheel eventually comes to a halt and the ball will fall in one of the slots of the wheel revealing the winning number.
Types of Bets
There are five types of inside bets: Straight, Split, Street of Three Line, Corner and Six Line.
Straight: a bet on a single number by placing a chip on the box that corresponds to that number.
Split: a bet on two adjacent numbers, horizontally or vertically, by placing a chip on the line between the two adjacent boxes.
Street of Three Line: a wager on a row of three numbers on a single horizontal line by putting a chip on the outer line of the number on the far left of the three numbers.
Corner: a bet on four numbers that form a square, by placing a chip on the cross between the four numbers.
Six Line: a bet on 6 adjacent numbers at the same time. If you wish to wager on 1-6 for example, you need to place a chip on the T-junction on the far left between the 1 and the 4.
Outside bets
Outside bets are wagers placed on the boxes around the inner field between the number 1 and 36. There are 5 distinguished options available for outside bets: Column, Dozen, High or Low, Red or Black and Odd or Even.
Column Bet: a wager on one of the three vertical rows (left, middle, right) by placing a chip in the box at the bottom of the row. You then proceed to bet 12 numbers at the same time.
Dozen Bet: a bet on 12 numbers in three consecutive rows, by placing a chip in one of the following areas: 1st 12, 2nd 12, 3rd 12.
High or Low Bets: a bet on the high numbers (19-36) or the low numbers (1-18).
Red or Black: a bet on a colour (red or black) instead of on a number.
Odd or Even: a bet on odd or even numbers.
Since online roulette has been gaining increasing popularity since the very beginning, plenty of variations have popped up over the years, most notably European and American Roulette. One of the key differences between the two is that the American Roulette wheel has 2 zeroes on the cylinder giving an unprecedented advantage over the European game.
LIVE BLACKJACK
Playing Live Blackjack has become very popular. With the development of new variations, and with live casino, players have become more and more attracted to the game.
The main purpose of the game is to create a hand whose points amount as near as possible to the point value of 21.
With the international 52-card deck without jokers, the basic version is popular across the globe.
The Secret of Blackjack
One of the most crucial decisions you must make when you are playing Live Blackjack is to know when to hit and when to stand.
This decision can lead to either winning or losing your bet.
When you “hit” it means you are requesting another card in addition to your current hand from the deck. If you have a higher chance of reaching a hand closer or equal to 21, you can ask for a hit. In a land-based casino, you wouldn’t say “hit” but instead, you would tap the cards or the table with your finger.
A “stand” means that you are not going to draw a card and that you are going to stick to your current cards in hand.
If you would like to read further on about general rules of blackjack, you can find it in our general Guide on Blackjack.
Winning in Blackjack – Double your Opportunities
It is recommended that one of the best ways to win at the live blackjack is to double down if the situation allows it. This could lead you to either doubling your bet or costing you twice as much if you do it at an inopportune moment. It is always ideal to double down a hand that has a total of 11.
LIVE TEXAS HOLD’EM
The live version of Texas Hold’em is played the same way as the traditional game.
You get two cards face up and 5 community cards comprising of the Flop, the Turn, and the River.
The main aim of the game is to create a higher-ranking hand than the dealer.
Play with your Bets
To start the game of this variant of live poker, you must make two bets, namely the Ante and the Blind. This version of the game also has an additional bet known as the Play Bet. When you place this bet, you can raise as much as x3 and x4 your Ante Bet. You can only opt for this bet before the Flop.
The winner in live Texas Hold’em is determined by the highest-ranking hand. It is the Royal Flush, followed by the Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight and so on and so forth. In addition, there are various payouts for the Blind Bet including the Ante as well as the Triple Bonus Bet.
LIVE SLOTS
Live slots are a recent addition to live casino, and they are very specific. Live slots games use standard slots RNG software for their main modes. After you enter the bonus mode, you are welcomed by the sight of a real-life host or hostess.
Why Live Slots stand out from other Live Games
However, unlike other live casino games such as live roulette or live blackjack, the host or hostess in live slots games do not actually have any involvement in the game. They usually appear during bonus modes, speaking to the players directly – they wish them good luck and can encourage them to continue playing.
Most frequently, hosts and hostesses in live slots games are dressed to match the theme of the game.
So, basically, playing live slots is actually the same as playing it in a real life land-based casino. You play it on your own, but hosts and hostesses are always there to help you when needed. They are also there to present the bonus mode. In live slots you have a generous bonus system and personalized jackpots and they are also suitable for players on a budget and high rollers.
The fact is that live slots are still developing and they will continue develop further along with the wishes of the customers.
Of course, when it comes to slot machines, the program performs much faster than a person. In this case, everything depends on chance and luck. The fact that the selection of games is more extensive can also be considered one of the advantages of slot games.
IF YOU ARE A PLAYER, WATCH FOR THESE THINGS
Now when you have read this short guide on some games played in live casinos, you need to know some of the most important things when it comes to this kind of playing.
One of the most common mistakes that players make at live casinos is that they chase their losses. Generally, visiting a live casino is supposed to be fun and it should, hopefully, help you make some money.
Just like in all games, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. When you are losing, try not to get frustrated since it can lead you to lose even more money. Sometimes it is best to leave the casino and come back later or another day.
Therefore, it is very important to know when to stop. This does not apply only to losing, but also to winning. If you have managed to win a good amount of cash, know when to stop, because your luck may change. This is only pointed out so that you are careful, but of course you know your bankroll the best, as well as your preferences and abilities.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Every live casino has a supervisor who is also known as a Pit Boss. This person’s job is to make sure that everything at the live casino is according to the rules as well as to help solve any problems that may arise during the games. This person is here if you suspect that the dealer made some kind of a mistake. You can ask the Pit Boss for assistance. If it turns out that you are right, your bets will be returned and the game will be cancelled.
KNOW YOUR STRATEGY
The chances of winning at a live casino increase if you play you’re your best game strategy. It is advisable that you know your strategy in advance, no matter what game you are playing. Having a good playing strategy can help you win the games as well as help you plan your next move.
KNOW YOUR OBLIGATIONS
Even though you need to know your rights, you also need to know your obligations, that is, the live casino etiquette. Live tables usually serve more than one player. You should only occupy a seat if you are willing to play right away and you should, needless to say, treat the players and the croupier with respect. Abusive language, complaining and promoting other live casinos is not acceptable!
DON’T GET LOST
People who enjoy gambling at live casinos are very prone to losing sense of time. Therefore, try not to get lost in live casino, since it can be very fun and engaging. It is important for you to organize your time. The reason for this is not only because of your personal life, but also because of the odds of the game. As already stated, if you are on a winning strike, you need to know when to stop. The same applies for when you are on a losing strike. Staying for too long can not only make you lose time, but your money as well.
INCREASE YOUR CHANCES
Live casinos often have promotions specially designed for some of the live games. For example, if you love to play roulette you should try to find a live casino that offers bonuses to roulette players. These promotions help you boost your bankroll and they increase your chances to gamble and win. Of course, make sure that before claiming bonuses you read the wagering requirements and bonus terms.
HAVE FUN AND ENJOY!
The most important thing is to have fun. Relax and enjoy this great feature of the new technology. Live casinos are made for fun and relaxation and they should help you fight the stress and not be the cause of it.